“A transparent system by which people come together to share their cost is the way that things will be done in the future, and ultimately we’re trying to get to that future. And what the pool will be made up of at that time in the future, who knows…Incentivizing people to help each other is an evolutionary priority. You know that from CrossFit or otherwise, and… again, as I said earlier, if you look at the solutions that have been most successful at getting people healthy and keeping people healthy, it’s community-based solutions.” – James Maskell

James Maskell has spent the past decade encouraging a shift away from conventional western medicine and toward a wellness-centered, functional medicine model. To that end, he created Functional Forum, the world’s largest integrative medicine conference.

He’s also the founder of the Evolution of Medicine, a community e-commerce platform that provides highly curated and customized resources, tools, products, and services, making it easier and more affordable for conventional doctors to embark on a new way of delivering healthcare. James lectures internationally, and has been featured on TEDMED, Huffpost Live, TEDx and more, and contributor to Huffington Post, KevinMD, thedoctorblog and MindBodyGreen. He serves on the faculty of George Washington University’s Metabolic Medicine Institute.

In his second visit to Pursuing Health, I was excited to talk with James about his most recent project, a health cooperative called kNew Health and his upcoming kNew Vision Tour, both of which are poised to fight chronic disease through prevention and by using functional & integrative medicine.

(Bio adapted from goEvomed.com and FunctionalForum.com)

In this episode we discuss:

The best way to showcase what is going on with health systems in America

How James hopes to increase the number of doctors interested in integrative and functional medicine

How having a micro-practice is currently the best way to practice integrative and functional medicine, and how getting started can have low overhead, which in a way parallels the CrossFit affiliate model

How James envisions the functional medicine movement taking over despite the current shortage of primary care physicians

The importance of addressing healthcare for people who do not have acute conditions but may be in danger of developing chronic disease

Using nurses, health coaches, and caregivers other than doctors to promote health and provide preventative healthcare

Incentivizing health in a way that drives patient engagement and community support

If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating. I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below and on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every other Tuesday.

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Disclaimer: This podcast is meant to share the experiences of various individuals. It does not provide medical advice, and it is not a substitute for advice from your physician or health care professional.